Flush valve

Abstract

A valve for sealing a pipe opening with a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening and a valve body fixed to the pipe opening. Moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve. The valve body includes a plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening. For instance, the seal plate, when forced fully away from the pipe opening, is forced to define an oblique plane that is oblique to the plane of the pipe opening. A method of sealing and then unsealing a pipe opening incorporating such a seal plate is also included.

We claim: 
     
       1. A valve for sealing a substantially planar pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a pedestal slidably operative between the pipe opening and the seal plate to keep the seal plate aligned with the pipe opening, wherein the pedestal has a longitudinal axis that is nonparallel to the plane of the pipe opening and the seal plate slides along the longitudinal axis of the pedestal; and   a valve body fixed relative to the pipe opening, the valve body including a plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced fully away from the pipe opening, defines an oblique plane that is oblique to a plane that is defined by the pipe opening.   
     
     
       2. The valve according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer operative between the seal plate and the plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the plate stop, thereby defining the oblique plane. 
     
     
       3. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the pedestal is fixed relative to the pipe opening. 
     
     
       4. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the plate stop includes a spacer interposed the seal plate and the valve body to limit the movement of the seal plate relative the valve body, thereby defining the oblique plane. 
     
     
       5. The valve according to claim 4, wherein the spacer is mounted on the pedestal. 
     
     
       6. The valve according to claim 4, wherein the spacer is slidably mounted on the pedestal so that the spacer moves along the pedestal in conjunction with the seal plate moving along the pedestal. 
     
     
       7. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the pedestal is fixed relative to the seal plate. 
     
     
       8. A valve for sealing a substantially planar pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a valve body fixed relative to the pipe opening, the valve body including a plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced fully away from the pipe opening, defines an oblique plane that is oblique to a plane defined by the pipe opening;   a first pedestal slidably operative between the pipe opening and the seal plate to keep the seal plate aligned with the pipe opening; and   a second pedestal distant from the first pedestal, the second pedestal slidably operative between the pipe opening and the seal plate to further maintain the orientation of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening.   
     
     
       9. The valve according to claim 8, further comprising a third pedestal distant from the first pedestal, wherein: the second pedestal and the third pedestal are fixed relative to the pipe opening to define a plate-receiving slot between the second pedestal and the third pedestal;   the seal plate includes a tongue extending outwardly from the seal plate; and   the tongue slides within the plate-receiving slot to further maintain the orientation of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening.   
     
     
       10. A valve for sealing a substantially planar pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a pedestal slidably operative between the pipe opening and the seal plate to keep the seal plate aligned with the pipe opening, wherein the pedestal is nonparallel to the plane of the pipe opening;   a valve body fixed relative to the pipe opening, the valve body including a plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced fully away from the pipe opening, defines an oblique plane that is oblique to a plane that is defined by the pipe opening; and   a lever arm having a pivot and a distal end, wherein: the lever arm is rotatably attached to the valve body about the pivot so that rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a first direction moves the distal end toward the pipe opening, and rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a second direction moves the distal end away from the pipe opening;   the distal end of the lever arm is exposed to engage the seal plate;   rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the first direction forces the distal end against the seal plate, thereby forcing the seal plate into contact with the pipe opening to close the valve; and   rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the second direction releases the distal end from the seal plate, thereby allowing the seal plate to move away from the pipe opening to open the valve.     
     
     
       11. The valve according to claim 10, further comprising a roller bearing attached to the distal end of the lever arm and exposed to rollably engage the seal plate. 
     
     
       12. The valve according to claim 10, further comprising a wear pad interposed the seal plate and the lever arm so that the wear pad protects the seal plate from wear. 
     
     
       13. A valve for sealing a substantially planar pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a valve body fixed relative to the pipe opening, the valve body including a plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced fully away from the pipe opening, defines an oblique plane that is oblique to a plane defined by the pipe opening; and   a lever arm having a pivot and a distal end, wherein: the lever arm is rotatably attached to the valve body about the pivot so that rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a first direction moves the distal end toward the pipe opening, and rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a second direction moves the distal end away from the pipe opening;   the distal end of the lever arm is exposed to engage the seal plate;   rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the first direction forces the distal end against the seal plate, thereby forcing the seal plate into contact with the pipe opening to close the valve; and   rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the second direction releases the distal end from the seal plate, thereby allowing the seal plate to move away from the pipe opening to open the valve.     
     
     
       14. The valve according to claim 13, wherein the distal end of the lever arm includes a roller bearing that is exposed to rollably interact with the seal plate. 
     
     
       15. The valve according to claim 14, further comprising a wear pad interposed the seal plate and the lever arm so that the wear pad protects the seal plate from wear. 
     
     
       16. The valve according to claim 15, wherein the wear pad is of a thickness selected to create the desired force between the distal end and the seal plate when the lever arm is fully rotated in the first direction, thereby allowing adjustment of the closeability of the valve to accommodate for differences in fixing the valve body to the pipe opening and for wear and tear of the valve. 
     
     
       17. The valve according to claim 13, further comprising a wear pad interposed the seal plate and the lever arm so that the wear pad protects the seal plate from wear. 
     
     
       18. A valve for sealing a substantially planar pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a valve body fixed relative to the pipe opening, the valve body including a plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced fully away from the pipe opening, defines an oblique plane that is oblique to a plane defined by the pipe opening; and   a second plate stop placed outside of the pipe opening and operative between the seal plate and the pipe opening to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced toward the pipe opening, is forced against the second plate stop prior to being forced against the pipe opening, thereby allowing the seal plate to be in contact with substantially all of the pipe opening prior to the exertion of substantial force directly between the seal plate and the pipe opening.   
     
     
       19. A valve for sealing a pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a lever arm having a pivot and a distal end, the lever arm rotatably attached to the pipe opening about the pivot so that rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a first direction moves the distal end toward the pipe opening, and rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a second direction moves the distal end away from the pipe opening;   a roller bearing attached to the distal end of the lever arm and exposed to rollably engage the seal plate, wherein rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the first direction forces the roller bearing against the seal plate, thereby forcing the seal plate into contact with the pipe opening to close the valve, and wherein rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the second direction releases the roller bearing from the seal plate, thereby allowing the seal plate to move away from the pipe opening to open the valve; and   a wear pad attached to the seal plate and interposed the seal plate and the roller bearing so that the wear pad protects the seal plate from wear.   
     
     
       20. The valve according to claim 19, wherein the wear pad is of a thickness selected to create the desired force between the roller bearing and the seal plate when the lever arm is fully rotated in the first direction, thereby allowing adjustment of the closeability of the valve to accommodate differences in fixing the valve body to the pipe opening and to accommodate wear and tear of the valve. 
     
     
       21. The valve according to claim 19, further comprising a valve body fixed relative to the pipe opening, the valve body including a plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening. 
     
     
       22. A valve for sealing a pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a lever arm having a pivot and a distal end, the lever arm rotatably attached to the pipe opening about the pivot so that rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a first direction moves the distal end toward the pipe opening, and rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a second direction moves the distal end away from the pipe opening;   a roller bearing attached to the distal end of the lever arm and exposed to rollably engage the seal plate, wherein rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the first direction forces the roller bearing against the seal plate, thereby forcing the seal plate into contact with the pipe opening to close the valve, and wherein rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the second direction releases the roller bearing from the seal plate, thereby allowing the seal plate to move away from the pipe opening to open the valve; and   a plate stop operative between the seal plate and the pipe opening to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced fully away from the pipe opening into an open position, defines an oblique angle between the open and closed positions.   
     
     
       23. The valve according to claim 22, further comprising a pedestal slidably operative between the pipe opening and the seal plate to keep the seal plate aligned with the pipe opening. 
     
     
       24. The valve according to claim 23, wherein the pedestal is fixed relative to the pipe opening. 
     
     
       25. The valve according to claim 23, wherein the plate stop includes a spacer mounted on the pedestal. 
     
     
       26. The valve according to claim 23, wherein the plate stop includes a spacer slidably mounted on the pedestal so that the spacer moves along the pedestal in conjunction with the seal plate moving along the pedestal. 
     
     
       27. The valve according to claim 23, further comprising a second pedestal distant from the first pedestal, the second pedestal slidably operative between the pipe opening and the seal plate to further maintain the orientation of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening. 
     
     
       28. The valve according to claim 22, further comprising a second plate stop placed outside of the pipe opening and operative between the seal plate and the pipe opening to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced toward the pipe opening, is forced against the second plate stop prior to being forced against the pipe opening, thereby allowing the seal plate to be in contact with substantially all of the pipe opening prior to the exertion of substantial force directly between the seal plate and the pipe opening. 
     
     
       29. A valve for sealing a pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a lever arm having a pivot and a distal end, the lever arm rotatably attached to the pipe opening about the pivot so that rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a first direction moves the distal end toward the pipe opening, and rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a second direction moves the distal end away from the pipe opening; and   a roller bearing attached to the distal end of the lever arm and exposed to rollably engage the seal plate, wherein rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the first direction forces the roller bearing against the seal plate, thereby forcing the seal plate into contact with the pipe opening to close the valve, and wherein rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the second direction releases the roller bearing from the seal plate, thereby allowing the seal plate to move away from the pipe opening to open the valve; and   a pedestal slidably operative between the pipe opening and the seal plate to keep the seal plate aligned with the pipe opening, wherein the pedestal is nonparallel to a plane defined by the pipe opening.   
     
     
       30. The valve according to claim 29, further comprising a second pedestal distant from the first pedestal, the second pedestal slidably operative between the pipe opening and the seal plate to further maintain the orientation of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening. 
     
     
       31. The valve according to claim 30, further comprising a third pedestal distant from the first pedestal, wherein: the second pedestal and the third pedestal are fixed relative to the pipe opening to define a plate-receiving slot between the second pedestal and the third pedestal;   the seal plate includes a tongue extending outwardly from the seal plate; and   the tongue slides within the plate-receiving slot to further maintain the orientation of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening.   
     
     
       32. A valve for sealing a pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a lever arm having a pivot and a distal end, the lever arm rotatably attached to the pipe opening about the pivot so that rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a first direction moves the distal end toward the pipe opening, and rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a second direction moves the distal end away from the pipe opening; and   a roller bearing attached to the distal end of the lever arm and exposed to rollably engage the seal plate, wherein rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the first direction forces the roller bearing against the seal plate, thereby forcing the seal plate into a closed position in contact with the pipe opening to close the valve, and wherein rotating the lever arm about the pivot in the second direction releases the roller bearing from the seal plate, thereby allowing the seal plate to move away from the pipe opening to open the valve;   a valve body fixed relative to the pipe opening, the valve body including a plate stop to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening; and   a spacer operative between the seal plate and the valve body to limit the movement of the seal plate relative to the pipe opening so that the seal plate, when forced fully away from the pipe opening into an open position, defines an oblique angle between the open and closed positions.   
     
     
       33. The valve according to claim 32, wherein the spacer is movably mounted relative to the valve body so that the spacer moves in conjunction with the seal plate. 
     
     
       34. A valve for sealing a pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate movably attached to the pipe opening so that moving the seal plate towards the pipe opening closes the valve, and moving the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;   a lever arm having a pivot and a distal end, the lever arm rotatably attached to the pipe opening about the pivot and the distal end operatively connected to the seal plate so that rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a first direction moves the distal end toward the pipe opening and forces the seal plate into contact with the pipe opening to close the valve, and rotating the lever arm about the pivot in a second direction moves the distal end away from the pipe opening and allows the seal plate to move away from the pipe opening to open the valve; and   a wear pad attached to the seal plate so that the wear pad is parallel to and adjacent the seal plate, and interposed the seal plate and the lever arm so that the wear pad protects the seal plate from wear.   
     
     
       35. The valve according to claim 34, wherein the wear pad is of a thickness selected to create the desired force between the distal end and the seal plate when the lever arm is fully rotated in the first direction, thereby allowing adjustment of the closeability of the valve to accommodate differences in fixing the valve body to the pipe opening and to accommodate wear and tear of the valve. 
     
     
       36. A method of sealing and then unsealing a pipe opening, comprising the steps of: providing a close-stop;   providing an open-stop;   providing a seal plate having a sealing region at least as large as the pipe opening and a flange extending outwardly from the sealing region, the sealing region of the seal plate defining an area with a centroid;   placing the close-stop to one side of the pipe opening;   placing the seal plate into contact with the open-stop and about aligned with the pipe opening;   applying an open-stop-pivoting force to the seal plate acting primarily on the seal plate between the centroid of the sealing region and the flange to force the flange into contact with the close-stop by pivoting the seal plate about the open-stop toward the pipe opening;   applying a close-stop-pivoting force to the seal plate acting primarily on the sealing region to force the sealing region into contact with the pipe opening by pivoting the seal plate about the close-stop toward the pipe opening, thereby sealing the pipe opening; and   allowing the seal plate to move away from the pipe opening and into contact with the open-stop, thereby unsealing the pipe opening.   
     
     
       37. The method of sealing and then unsealing a pipe opening according to claim 36, wherein the step of applying the open-stop-pivoting force to the seal plate includes the use of a lever arm rotatably fixed to the pipe opening, the lever arm having a distal end that rotates about the pivot, and the open-stop-pivoting force is applied to the seal plate through the lever arm by way of the distal end contacting the seal plate at a region between the flange and the centroid of the sealing region. 
     
     
       38. The method of sealing and then unsealing a pipe opening according to claim 36, wherein the step of applying the close-stop-pivoting force to the seal plate includes the use of a lever arm rotatably fixed to the pipe opening, the lever arm having a distal end that rotates about the pivot, and the close-stop-pivoting force is applied to the seal plate through the lever arm by way of the distal end contacting the seal plate at a region at least partly between the flange and the centroid of the sealing region. 
     
     
       39. A valve for sealing a pipe opening, the valve comprising: a seal plate having a sealing region at least as large as the pipe opening and a flange extending outwardly from the sealing region;   an aligner slidably interconnecting the seal plate to the pipe opening so that: the sealing region of the seal plate is kept in approximate alignment with the pipe opening;   sliding the seal plate towards the pipe opening to obstruct the pipe opening closes the valve and places the flange in an outwardly extending position relative to the pipe opening; and   sliding the seal plate away from the pipe opening opens the valve;     a close-stop placed relative to the pipe opening and the aligner so that the close-stop is aligned with the flange when the valve is closed; and   a lever arm having a pivot and an exposed distal end, the lever arm rotatably attached to the pipe opening about the pivot so that rotating the lever arm about the pivot forces the distal end against the seal plate, thereby forcing the flange against the close-stop and pivoting the seal plate about the close-stop to place the sealing region of the seal plate into contact with the pipe opening to close the valve.   
     
     
       40. The valve according to claim 39, wherein the distal end of the lever arm includes a roller bearing exposed for contact with the seal plate. 
     
     
       41. The valve according to claim 39, wherein the aligner includes a pedestal. 
     
     
       42. The valve according to claim 39, wherein the seal plate includes a hole formed outside of the sealing region and the aligner includes a pedestal that extends through the hole.